APSU Women’s Softball
Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University has been picked to finish 10th in the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference preseason softball poll as voted by the league coaches.
The Lady Govs are coming off an 8-14, eight-place OVC finish a year ago, but return a veteran nucleus, led by the team’s leading hitter, Tiffany Smith (.285) and one of the league’s best young pitchers, sophomore Morgan Brewer (12-10, 3.04 ERA).
Last year’s regular-season champion UT Martin is picked to place third (78 points) with OVC newcomer SIU Edwardsville, eligible for the first since joining the league in 2008, is selected fourth (68 points). Eastern Illinois earned the remaining first-place vote and is picked to finish in a tie with Morehead State for fifth place (63 points). Rounding out the poll are Murray State (54), Southeast Missouri (40), Eastern Kentucky (32), APSU (16) and Tennessee State (14).
The top six teams in the conference will qualify for OVC tourney competition, with the regular-season champion serving as host.
